The Dhurga speaking people of the Yuin nation have lived in this region for over 20,000 years. The landscape is part of their culture with Gulaga (Mount Dromedary) and Barunguba (Montague Island) having special significance. Many place names today are derived from their Aboriginal names.
Sea transport was vital to early European settlement both for people and to send produce to market in Sydney, especially timber and cheese. Road transport was difficult and there were many rivers to cross so the main settlements developed where sea access good.